The Bug Bane

I’ve been smashing bugs of late, focusing entirely on the scene management system with a view to removing all the wrinkles and glitches that have accumulated around scene transitions.

In more meaningful language – making sure the Autopilot / Linear Drive is nice and smooth when flying from A -> B, and that all the game objects (Stations et al) page in, and page out as you move around the galaxy.

It’s led to some much needed refactoring, but nothing major, and highlighted some interesting bugs buried deep within the scene transition code still lurking from the original Kickstarter days. I would love to unit test all this stuff, but time, time, time… time which would be repaid by not having to bug hunt later, but you need the time up front to invest in the first place…

But, that all said, it’s leaving me with an increasingly robust ‘fly about space n’ stuff’ system, which is giving me a much needed ‘warm and cosy’ feeling. It shouldn’t be long before it’s all locked down and solid, allowing me to return to putting the ‘stuff’ into space so you can fly around and reliably encounter it. Although granted, it shouldn’t have this many bugs in the first place, but that’s what happens when you get 1.5h a day to dev over X years and forget how it was written then change a load of stuff (added Observers) and realise ‘ah’ when something you forgot about no longer works… anyway enough of the whinging 🙂

I’ll be continuing to kill off all the evident glitches and bugs until I’m happy it’s all solid again. Next on the list is a glitch in orientation as the player traverses scenes which has crept back in again. Now, where’s that bug zapper…